Knockdown furniture



Dec. 24, 1963 H. J. GARIEPY xuocxnown FURNITURE Filed May 21, 1962INVENTQR HENRY J. GARIEPY "fiMfva ATTORNEY United States Patent C3,115,367 KNUCKDGWN FURNITURE Henry Ii. Gariepy, Gariepy Products, Inc,South Ashburnharn, Mass. Filed Why 21, 1962, Ser. No. 196,253 9 Claims.(Ql. 297-44i5) This invention relates to a new and improved knockdownfurniture construction which is particularly adapted for easytransportation at freight rate savings and for quick and easy assemblyof the parts by the purchaser. The knockdown furniture comprises ingeneral -a chair, sofa or the like comprising a main seat portion whichis substantially finished at the factory and which provides special newand improved means for receiving a backrest portion, armrest portions,and legs, to the end that the article of furniture may be packed in arelatively narrow container of small volume for shipment and storage butwhich at the same time is easily put together in a few moments byanyone.

A further object of the invention includes the provision of a knockdownarticle of furniture comprising in general a more or less finished seatportion, an assembled backrest portion, and two individual armrestassemblies, the latter each comprising an armrest and a supporting struttherefor, these two pieces being permanently secured together but at thesame time being generally coplanar as is also the backrest assembly andthe seat, there being an easily operated fastener for securing one endof each strut to the seat and one end of each armrest to the backrest,and in addition there also being quick and easy means for securing thebackrest at the lower part thereof to the seat, said last-named meansincluding annular members which receive tenons at the lower ends of thesaid armrest strut and the backrest, said annular means being located inopenings in the seat (of the frame thereof) and including outwardlyextending means such as flanges for securing upholstery to the seatabout the open ings in the seat which receive the tenons.

Other objects of the invention include new and improved features ofconstruction of knockdown furniture including legs which may be appliedsingly to provide a so-called cricket chair or a pair of leg assembliesincluding two legs and a rocker for making the device as arocking-chair.

The invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of partswhich will be hereinafter described and more particularly set forth inthe appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 isan exploded view illustrating the invention and its components, partsbeing broken away;

FIG. 2 is a greatly enlarged section through the seat illustrating theattachment of the various members to the seat;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view illustrating means for holding a leg inposition with respect to the seat member;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of one of the flanged tubular devices;

P16. 5 is a detail of the end of a leg partly in section, and

FIG. 6 is a detail of a modification.

In carrying out the present invention, the same has been illustrated asapplied to a so-called cricket chair. The seat is generally indicated bythe reference numeral 10. This seat may be of course of any naturedesired but in general it is formed of an open wood frame although theinvention is by no means limited to open frames but may be applied tosolid seats also. This open frame is customarily provided withupholstery material covering the surface thereof as for instance asshown at 12. The seat or seat frame 10 is also provided at its lowersurface with four chocks, these being block-like members and there beingone at each corner. These are generally indicated by the referencenumeral 14 and as is shown in FIG. 3 each one is located at an anglewith respect to the sides and rear portions of the seat frame 10.

These chocks may be secured to the seat frame 10 in any way desired asfor instance by fasteners 16 but each chock has an outer surface 18 andan inner surface 20. The outer surface 18 is grooved as is indicated at22 and these grooves are preferably made in such a way as to provide forthe inclination of the legs 24 which are to be attached as is usual inchairs of this class as shown in FIG. 1. The chocks 14 themselves may beconveniently made so that the forward faces 18 thereof are not quiteperpendicular to the under surface of the face of the chair for thispurpose. Each chock has a passage drilled therethrough as at 26 and inthis passage there is a conventional screw fastener 28 which threadsinto the leg 24, holding the same solidly in the position shown in FIG.3. If it is desired to do so, the legs 24 on each side of the article offurniture may be provided with a conventional rocker 34) so that thenthere will be another coplanar unit made up of one front and one rearleg 24 permanently secured to a rocker member. Otherwise the legs 24 ofcourse are independent prior to assembly thereof to the individualchocks 14.

Any kind of backrest can be utilized and the one shown is of a:ladderback variety generally indicated by the reference numeral 32.This comprises two side pieces 34 each of which is provided at its lowerend with a tenon 36 and intermediate the ends thereof they are providedwith mortices 38 receiving screw fasteners 40 by which means they areattached to the armrests as will be described hereinafter.

The seat member If) is provided with a pair of slanted apertures orholes 42, 42 for the reception of tenons 36 and in the holes 42, 42there are provided tubular members or ferrules 44 each of which isprovided with an outstanding flange 46, These ferrules may be made ofmetal, plastic, or any suitable material. The flanges 4e are adapted toextend over the adjacent areas of the up holstery material 32 and whenthe parts are all assembled, the flanges 46 will hold the upholsterymaterial down against the seat.

The armrest units are made up of armrests 48 and supporting studs 5%therefor. These are permanently secured together by a tenon 52 at oneend of each stud, these being cemented or otherwise permanently securedto the armrests 48 at the outer ends thereof. The inner ends of eacharmrest 43 are provided with a stud 54 and these are received in themortices 38 which are prepared for this purpose so that when screwmembers 40, 40 are entered through the backrest side pieces 34- and intothe ends of the tenons 44 they solidly secure the armrests 4-8, 48.

The lower end of each stud is provided with a tenon 56 and this isadapted to extend into slanted holes Sit in the chair frame 10 in thesame manner that tenons 36 extend into holes 42. Also the metal tubularmembers 59 similar to those at 44 are provided and the metal mem bers 59are provided with flanges 60 which are the equivalent of members 44 withflanges 46 and for the same purpose.

The tubular metal members 4-4 and 59 slide fairly easily into theirrespective holes 42 and 58 but preferably they can be tapped with ahammer or the like to generally permanently position the same as forinstance as best shown perhaps in FIG. 2, and it is to be understoodthat the showing of FIG. 2 for instance although specifically for thebackrest 32 also shows an equivalent structure for the studs 50.

Screw fasteners generally indicated at 62 are provided for securingmembers 34, 34 and 50, St) to the chair seat member in the generalangular positions shown. These fasteners are preferably in the form oflag screws or the like. as are also the fasteners 23, but in this caseare provided with relatively large washers 64 which abridge the openingsof the apertures 42 and 58 so that the parts when assembled appear as inFIG. 2.

t will be appreciated that the seat it the back 32, the two armrestassemblies 48 and Eli, and the legs whether separate or connected withrockers, can be packed in general parallel position in a relativelynarrow box that only needs to be a little over twice the width necessaryto accept the seat It? by itself, and thus it will be seen that thevolume of the box used to pack this article of furniture is extremelysmall compared to those used for packing chairs which are sold in set upcondition.

When the customer opens the package, he can easily secure the legs 24 tothe chocks 14 as above described. He can also then apply tenons 54 tothe mortices at 38 and the tenons 5% to the holes at 5% and tenons 36 tothe holes at 42, utilizing the strengthening features of the tubularmembers 44 and 43. Then the screw-threaded members 62 being applied, theshoulders which are indicated at 66 and which are present in allfurniture of this class where tenons are utilized act as clamps tosecure the respective flanges 46 and 6% down onto the upholstery (seeFIG. 2) while at the same time clamping the respective tenons tightly inposition, and when all of the fasteners have been tightened up, it willbe found that the article of furniture presented is stronger and longerlasting than an article of furniture which is merely glued together inthe conventional manner.

As shown in FIG. 5, a ferrule can be inserted in a bore in top end of aleg 24 and a headed bolt ill can be utilized to adjust the leg. Ahearing member or the like '72 bears on the under side of seat 10 andthe fastener 26 extends through an enlarged hole 74 in the block 14.

As shown in PEG. 6, a headed screw 75 can be set at the under side ofthe chair seat it) so as normally not to extend beyond the lower surfacethereof, but this screw can be turned in or out to allow adjustment ofleg 24 which again is held to the block 14 by a fastener 26 in a largehole '74.

Faving thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. Knockdown furniture comprising a seat, a back assembly, leg membersand two armrest assemblies, each armrest assembly comprising an armrestand an end connected supporting stud thereon, said backrest assemblyincluding two spaced, connected side members each of which is providedwith an end tenon, said armrest being provided with a tenon at one endthereof and said stud being provided with a tenon at the end oppositethe arrhrest, said seat having openings for the reception of the tenonson the side members of the back assembly and the tenons on the studs,ring-like members located in said openings and receiving the studs,fastening means extending through the openings from the under side ofthe chair seat through the ring-like members and into the respectivetenons, and means for securing the tenons on the armrest to the backassembly.

2. The knockdown furniture of claim 1 including leg members and meansfor separately attaching the same to the under side of the seat.

3. The knockdown furniture of claim 1 including legs and a pair ofrocker members each attached to a pair of said legs, and means forsecuring the legs in position at the lower surface of the seat.

4. Knockdown furniture comprising a seat member, a

back, leg members, and two armrest members, each armrest membercomprising an armrest portion and a supporting stud portion, saidbackrest member including two side members each of which is providedwith an end tenon, each stud being provided with a tenon at its endopposite its. respective armrest portion, said seat member havingopenings for the reception of the tenons on the side members of the backand the tenons on the studs, ring-like members located in said openingsand receiving the respective tenons, said ring-like members includingmeans overlying the surrounding edges of the 'openings at the topsurface of the seat member, fastening means extending through theopenings from the under side of the seat member through the ring-likemembers and into the respective tenons, and means for securing thearmrest portions to the backrest.

' 5, The knockdown furniture of claim 4 wherein said ring-like means andsaid overlying means each comprises a tubular member, and a flange atthe upper end thereof, said flange being forced into engagement with theseat by the fastening means securing the back and studs to the seat.

6. The knockdown furniture of claim 4 including upholstery materialcovering the seat frame, the means on each ringslike member ovenlyingtheseat comprising a flange overlying and clamping the upholsteredmaterial in position.

7. The knockdown furniture of claim 4 including means at the end of atleastone leg to adjust the effective length of the leg, said meanscomprising a threaded member engaged with threads in a bore in the leg.

8. The knockdown furniture of claim 4 including means at the end of atleast one leg to adjust the effective length of the leg, saidmeanscomprising a threaded member engaged with threads in a bore in the leg,a portion of the threaded member bearing on the under surface of theseat member, the bore in the leg being at the top end or the leg.

9. The knockdown furniture of claim 4 including a screw threaded intothe seat member at the lower surface thereof, and a head on the screwengaging the upper end of a leg for adjusting the longitudinal positionof the leg.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. KNOCKDOWN FURNITURE COMPRISING A SEAT, A BACK ASSEMBLY, LEG MEMBERSAND TWO ARMREST ASSEMBLIES, EACH ARMREST ASSEMBLY COMPRISING AN ARMRESTAND AN END CONNECTED SUPPORTING STUD THEREON, SAID BACKREST ASSEMBLYINCLUDING TWO SPACED, CONNECTED SIDE MEMBERS EACH OF WHICH IS PROVIDEDWITH AN END TENON, SAID ARMREST BEING PROVIDED WITH A TENON AT ONE ENDTHEREOF AND SAID STUD BEING PROVIDED WITH A TENON AT THE END OPPOSITETHE ARMREST, SAID SEAT HAVING OPENINGS FOR THE RECEPTION OF THE TENONSON THE SIDE MEMBERS OF THE BACK ASSEMBLY AND THE TENONS ON THE STUDS,RING-LIKE MEMBERS LOCATED IN SAID OPENINGS AND RECEIVING THE STUDS,FASTENING MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH THE OPENINGS FROM THE UNDER SIDE OFTHE CHAIR SEAT THROUGH THE RING-LIKE MEMBERS AND INTO THE RESPECTIVETENONS, AND MEANS FOR SECURING THE TENONS ON THE ARMREST TO THE BACKASSEMBLY.